Thursday, 9 February 2017

LGBT+ activists are calling for a London museum to remember the community’s history.

To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of same-sex sexual intercourse this year, a petition has been started by the Queer Cabinet Brigade to encourage the creation of an LGBT+ history museum in London.

The activist group, who made headlines last year when they left pink cabinets at queer sites around the capital city, argue that there are “decades of political struggle” which remain “locked in the closet”.

They said: “Many places in London are prominent sites of queer history – places where queer people met and danced and organised and protested and cottaged – yet it is possible to walk through London and not be aware of how many streets contain queer stories“We demand a permanent community space where LGBTQI+ history and culture can take root and be accessible to all. As a world destination and home to queer history and culture, London deserves one.”

The group have suggested the former Magistrates’ Court on Bow Street as a potential location, describing it as “a space with a complex queer history of oppression and defiance”, although they’re open to other locations.